1963

The 36th Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee took place on June 12th and 13th, 1963. It was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and 69 spellers participated.

Glen Van Slyke III won the competition with the strategies of asking for the roots of every word and spelling slowly.

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About the 36th Bee

Champion

Glen Van Slyke III

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Glen Van Slyke III, age 13, sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel, won the $1,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “equipage.”

Glen graduated from Rice University and then law school. He practiced trial law in Houston.

Location

Mayflower Hotel

at the Grand Ballroom

Winning Word

equipage(n)

EK-wuh-pij

material or articles used in equipping an organized group.

This word is from a French word.

OFFICIALS

Directors

James H. Wagner

Judges

  • Dr. Belmont Farley
  • Mrs. Bessie W. Cramer
  • John H. Lloyd

Pronouncers

  • Dr. Richard R. Baker

SPELLER ROSTER

  • Marsha Ellen Ackermann
  • Ruth Avery
  • Gary Barringer
  • Gordon Bronitsky
  • Patty Burns
  • Debara Carbaugh
  • Cheryl Cardran
  • Susan Casteras
  • Casey Charness, Jr.
  • Maria Crist
  • Mary David
  • Edith Maye Davis
  • Janet DeMange
  • Michael Dickson
  • Christine Dickson
  • Nancy Dickson
  • Deborah Donahue
  • Stephen M. Early
  • Alice Faye Elliott
  • Donnie Feehan
  • William Foureman
  • Robert Frain
  • Elaine C. Frantz
  • Robert Gallivan
  • Patricia Galloway
  • Steven Gifford
  • Anthony J. Gleeson
  • Chandy Greenholt
  • Yolanda Guillen
  • Michael Hendricks
  • Dwight Holden
  • Cheryl Horst
  • Linda Hovhanesian
  • Jennifer Ingle
  • Dennis Jespersen
  • Phyllis Kaplan
  • David Leyenson
  • David Litt
  • Danny Luce
  • Jane Mason
  • Rosalie McCaslen
  • Louis McIntosh
  • Karen L. Miller
  • Willa Nehlsen
  • Steven Palmer
  • Rosalind Petrizzo
  • Elaine Piecuch
  • Albert W. Reed, III
  • Arlene Rich
  • Gregg Richardson
  • Ruth Roman
  • Robert Rudisill
  • Karlis Rusa
  • Vivian Salazar
  • Alan Simmons
  • Carol Sorgen
  • Janet Spikowski
  • Mary Ann Starsnic
  • Sandra Stroup
  • Wayne Thrash
  • David J. Torby
  • Glen Van Slyke, III
  • Carol Vanhoof
  • Dianne Waldrip
  • Cleve M. Wallace
  • Marianne Waters
  • Joseph Wensman
  • Betsy Wisz
  • Carol Woodward

* Winner
** Runner-Up